Writing guide for the blind



Aug 2, 1932. A. SHARP WRITING GUIDE FUR THE BLIND I Filed. Oct

SHAW V t Patented Aug. 2, 1932 P ATfE N T UFFL I .Ci E

-ALIC'E 'SHARPfOF RED BLUFF,- CALIFORNIA WRITING GUIDE .FOR' THE BLIND Application filed October 6,1931.

' This invention relates to devices for the use of the blind and pertains particularly to a device for assisting the blind in writing.

' lhe primaryobject of'the present inven- 5 tion isto provide a writing device for the blind by means of which a blind person is enabled to keep the lines of writ ng parallel and to maintain a straight margin along. the side 'of the pad on which the writing is placed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a writing guide for the blind having means associated therewith whereby the lines of writing may be evenly; spaced apart.

A still further'object of the invention is to i provide a writing guide having stencil plates associated therewith whereby a blind person will be guided in placing the. heading of a letter in the proper position.

The invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying' drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to-any strict 5 conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified solong as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed inthe appended claims.

5 In% the drawing: Figure l is aview in top plan of the device embodying the present invention Figure 2 is a View in sideelevation of the -same;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l;

' Figure 4 is, a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4% of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a stencil plate, the same being brokencentrally to show the same on a reducedscale.

. Referring now more particularly 'tothe drawing wherein like numerals ofreferencc indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the device embodying the present invention comprises a frame whichisindicated generally by the. numeral 1. [This 7 frame. has a relatively. heavy bottom 2,'the vertical side walls 8 and 4 and the head wall sidewall 4. which isat the left of theframe tivelyldeep notches 10. These. notches eX- plate which has a strip 14 secured across one SeriaL N0: 56%,252.

5 which connects the side walls in theimanner shown.

.pad 7 positions when itis placed in the frame and resting upon the bottom thereof, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4:.

The side wall 3 which is at the right hand side of the frame when the same is in position for use, has aninturned flange 8 at itstop edge winch overlies the pad 7 when the same is in vpositioninthe frame. The opposite extendsstraight :upwardly to a plane above the flange 8 and formed longitudinally through this straight wall is a slot 9, the lower edge .of whichis provided with the rela- 70 tend downwardly to a point in close proximity to. the top surface of the frame bottom 2 .as illustrated. As shown in Figure Qthe iirstof the notches lOat the headof the frame is spaced a slightly greater distance from '15.; the next adjacent notch than. the. other notches are spaced apart. Allof the notches with the exception of the head; notch are spaced the. width of a line of writing.

Associated with the frame. are stencil plates, .one Of'WlliCh is shown in position therein in Figuresl, 3 and at and is indicated by the numeral 11,.while a second stencil plate, indicated bythe numeral 12, is illustrated in Figure ,5.

In association with one of. the .stencil plates there is used a guide ZLHClshZUKl rest which is indicated generally by the numeral 13. This guide and rest comprises a hat so endedge, which strip is extended at one end beyond the adjacent side edge of the plate 13, forming the finger piece 15 by means of which the plate is shifted when in use.

In using'the present writing device after the pad 7 has been placed in position therein,

"if a letteris to be written, there is then placed upon the ,top sheet of the pad the stencil plate 11 which as shown in'Figure 1 has a space 16 formed therethrough adjacent the top for the date or any other heading and below this space there is formed a second space which is indicated by the numeral 17 and which extends from a point adjacent the writing side of the device to a point adjacent the longitudinal center, and which is for guiding the writer in placing the Salutation in the proper position. Beneath this salutation slot there is another short slot which is indicated by the numeral 18 and which extends from a point adjacent the center of the device to the right side thereof, in which the first line of the letter is started. Below the first line slot 18 the stencil plate is provided with the equidistantly spaced slots 19 which extend the full width of the plate and are for the guidance of the writer in placing the additional lines of writing upon the paper. This plate 11 after being positioned on the pad then has placed thereover the line guide or regulator plate 13.

This has one side edge held in place beneath the flange 8 while the opposite side edge is maintained in position by the finger piece 15 which extends through the slot 9. The slots 16 to 19 inclusive in the plate 11 are so disposed with respect to the notches that when the line regulator plate is held in position by the engagement of the finger iece in one of the notches, the top edge of the guide strip 1% will lie along the lower edge of a slot. The user of the device is then able to write as desired and at the same time start the lines at the proper place and keep them parallel and equidistantly spaced apart, even though it is impossible for him to see the writin The plate 1:2 is provided throughout with slots 20 which are disposed therein in the same manner as the slots 19 are disposed in the plate 11 and this plate is for use in writ ing all the pages following the first page which is written with the first mentioned or starting plate 11.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that with a device of the character herein described a blind person may readily write a letter or other paper without getting the words or lines out of position or mixed up and at the same time the paper will present when finished a neat appearance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A writing device for the blind, comprising a paper holder, a slotted body disposed at one side of said holder, a stencil plate to be positioned over a paper sheet in the holder, and a guide member disposed in the holder to extend across said stencil plate and having a portion engaged in said slot, said slot having a plurality of recesses formed along one edge to receive the said portion of the guide member.

2. A writing device for the blind comprising a pad holder having a vertical wall extending longitudinally of one side, said wall having a longitudinally extending slot therein provided in its lower edge with spaced notches, astencil plate adapted to be positioned in the pad holder, and a line regulator comprising a plate designed to be positioned in the holder and having a laterally extending finger disposed in said slot and adapted for selective engagement in said notches.

3. A writing device for the blind comprising a pad receiving receptacle having a bottom, side walls, and one end wall constituting the head of the device, one of said side walls having a longitudinally extending slot therethrough having spaced notches in its lower edge, means for maintaining a writing pad in position. in the receptacle, a plate adapted to be positioned in the receptacle on a writing pad therein said plate having transverse slots therethrough, and a line regulator comprising a plate designed to be positioned in the receptacle and a lateral extension adapted to pass through said slot and be positioned in one of said notches.

i. A writing guide for the blind comprising a pad receiving receptacle having a bot tom, side walls, and one end wall constituting the head of the device, one of said side walls having a longitudinally extending slot therethrough having spaced notches in its lower edge, means for maintaining a writing pad in position in the receptacle, aplate adapted to be positioned in the receptacle on a writing pad therein having transverse slots therethrough, a line regulator comprising a plate designed to be positioned in the receptacle and a lateral extension adapted to pass through said slot and be positioned in one of said notches, and an inwardly extending flange formed integral with the top edge of the other longitudinal wall to overlie said plates and a paper pad in the receptacle.

5. A writing device for the blind, comprising a paper holder, means designed to be placed in the holder over asheet of paper therein for assisting the writer to write in a straight line and properly space the lines one from the other, a guide overlying said means for assisting the writer in locating a writing implement on the proper line, and means facilitating the shifting of said guide over said first means in regulated steps, each step locating the guide relative to the first means for the starting of a new line.

6. A writing device for the blind, comprising a paper holder, means designed to be placed in the holder over a sheet of paper therein for assisting the writer to write in a straight line and properly space the lines one from the other, a guide overlying said means for assisting the writer in locating a writing implement on the proper line, a member carried by said guide, and extending laterally therefrom and means for facili- Eating the shifting of the guide over the first means in regulated steps, comprising a, series of spaced notches formed along one 1011 gitudinal edge of a wall of the paper holder in which notches said member may be selectively engaged.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ALICE SHARP. 

